The bus will leave Melbourne at 10pm Sunday 17 November and return to Melbourne by 11.30pm on Monday 18 November. Tix $60 conc. $100 full fare $120 solidarity

The Coalition government have made asylum seekers and refugees their first target. During their first sitting of parliament, refugee supporters from around Australia will converge outside to show them it won’t be tolerated. Be one of them!Give Abbott the welcome he deserves during the opening session of parliament!• Permanent not temporary protection visas
• Close all offshore and onshore detention centres
• Don’t cut the refugee quota
• A fair legal process for all refugee claims
• Right to work for asylum seekers
• Resettle refugees from our region
• No deportations of asylum seekers
TRAVEL INDEPENDENTLY, OR GET A TICKET ON THE BUS
LET US KNOW YOU ARE PLANNING TO BE THERE!
Email trconcepts@netspace.net.au Phone 0409 252 673 for more info
Bus tickets will be available to purchase online, once parliamentary sitting date are confirmedTO ENDORSE THIS PROTEST ACTION
Email trconcepts@netspace.net.au or post a message on Facebook

WHY PROTEST?

Tony Abbott, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and the rest of the Coalition want to use their time in parliament to attack refugee rights.

They began their attacks on day one. On his first day as PM Abbott re-introduced Temporary Protection Visas, meaning that refugees have the prospect of being sent back when their visa expires after three years. TPV holders will not have access to even basic settlement supports such as English language lessons and will be denied the right to travel or to bring family members to Australia. Under the Howard government this policy was shown to exacerbate post-traumatic stress and mental illness in huge numbers of refugees who ultimately ended up settling in Australia.

This will apply not only to those who arrive after the recent election, but to the 30,000 asylum seekers that arrived under Labor’s “no advantage” rule.

The government will also cut off legal assistance for asylum seekers and hopes to restrict court appeals.

Abbott has appointed three-star General Angus Campbell to run his “Operation Sovereign Borders” with a promise to turn back asylum boats, despite the fact that neither the Indonesian government nor the Australian navy want to implement such a policy.

Morrison has announced plans to imprison an extra 2000 asylum seekers on Nauru and a further 1230 on Manus Island.

But their “solutions” are already in trouble. As well as Indonesia’s opposition to turning back the boats, the huge expansion of offshore processing will be almost impossible to implement. The Nauru and Manus detention centres are in crisis, with constant protests, riots, and an epidemic of self-harm. Papua New Guinea has no plans to resettle asylum seekers.

The new governments’ attempts to “hide the boats” by restricting information about boat arrivals shows they are not confident in their own policies. Abbott isn’t popular, overwhelmingly people voted against Labor—not for the Coalition. A vibrant refugee movement forced John Howard back in the past. We shifted public opinion – in 2001 a Newspoll found that 47% of people though any asylum boats should be allowed to land, by 2004 it was 61%. John Howard was forced to release children and long term detainees from detention due to political pressure in 2004/2005.

If we mobilise against the Coalition and their anti-refugee lies we can beat them back and win refugee rights.

Can’t make it yourself ? You can support the Action by DONATING to assist others to get there – we want to offer free tickets to refugees and asylum seekers. You can donate through the ticket booking system once up and running, or deposit money directly into the Refugee Action Collective account, Commonwealth Bank BSB: 063 262, Account 1025 2396, label your donation “Canberra”